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ICOCulture Compass

Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument

An assessment of your company's culture that shows whether it supports strategy, execution and change, and what to adjust.

The question it answers

Is our culture helping or hindering the strategy we have chosen?

  • Online and anonymous
  • Current vs. desired culture
  • Action plan included
Why answer

What this questionnaire does for you

What it is for

Understand whether the way people work day to day helps or hinders the company’s strategy.

What you get

A picture of the real culture, with a 0 to 100 index, the dominant cultural profile and the tensions that weigh most day to day. When applied to the team, the report also shows differences between areas and levels, the gap between leadership and team views and an action plan in waves.

How it helps the company

  • Makes visible what usually stays in the realm of opinion: how decisions are made, how people communicate and how much they trust each other.
  • Shows whether culture supports business goals or explains why good plans stall.
  • Points to concrete actions, instead of generic culture programs that do not change behavior.

How the information is gathered

  1. People from different areas and levels answer an anonymous online questionnaire, on phone or computer.
  2. Answers are consolidated by pillar, area and level. Groups of fewer than 5 people are never shown.
  3. Leadership receives the full report and a debrief with an action plan in waves.
Who it is for

Signs that it is time

Companies going through a change in strategy, growth, a merger or new leadership, HR teams that need data to guide culture programs, and boards that want to understand what lies behind execution.

  • The strategy is clear on paper, but execution does not follow.
  • Stated values that do not show up in daily work.
  • Areas that do not cooperate and decisions that stall between them.
  • A merger, acquisition or new leadership changing how people work.
  • Culture programs without a measured starting point.
What you will learn

The questions the assessment answers

  • What is the culture today, and what culture does the strategy require?
  • Do people know where the company is heading and see themselves in that path?
  • Do leaders practice what they ask for and speak with one voice?
  • Do areas work together, or each on its own?
  • Can the company change and learn from customers at the pace it needs?
  • Is there enough trust for people to say what they think?
Results you can expect

What changes in your company

01

Current and desired culture, named

Leadership gains a common language to describe today's culture and the one the strategy calls for.

02

Tensions that block execution

You see where words and practice drift apart, and in which areas this weighs most.

03

Cultural levers for strategy and change

A few changes in behaviors, rituals and decisions, chosen for their effect on execution.

04

An aligned leadership team

Comparing the leadership view with the team view shows where to align before setting demands.

05

Change with less friction

Mergers, restructurings and new strategies planned around the real culture, not the stated one.

06

A culture program with a starting point

An initial measure that shows, at the next cycle, whether culture initiatives are working.

What is assessed

Six dimensions, one complete picture

Ideavus's own methodology, built on recognized references and applied in companies of different sizes and industries.

  1. Mission and DirectionShared purpose, strategy, goals, and vision that guide everyone's effort.
  2. Involvement and EmpowermentAutonomy, teamwork, capability development, participation, and meaningful work.
  3. Consistency and IntegrationValues in practice, the ability to reach agreement, cross-area coordination, and predictability.
  4. Adaptability and Customer FocusCapacity for change, customer focus, learning, creation, and reading the environment.
  5. Leadership and CoherenceLeaders' example, what they demand and recognize, and whether they speak with one voice.
  6. Trust, Communication and Psychological SafetyTrust, transparent communication, voice, fairness, and belonging.
Core concept

Current and desired culture

Beyond the index, ICO shows the organization's dominant cultural profile and compares it with the culture the strategy requires. There is no right profile: the value lies in seeing the distance between today and what is needed.

Take the Culture Compass, ICO's free quick test (3 min)

How it works

Four steps, without overloading your teams

A typical project takes 5 to 7 weeks, from alignment to the results debrief.

  1. Week 1Alignment

    A conversation with the sponsor to set the objective, the audience and the breakdowns (areas, levels, sites). We provide a communication kit to invite the teams.

  2. Weeks 2 to 4Anonymous online survey

    Each person answers in a few minutes, on a phone or computer. We track participation by area and send reminders.

  3. Week 5Analysis

    We consolidate the results, compare areas and levels and group the comments by theme.

  4. Weeks 6 and 7Debrief and plan

    We present the report to leadership, discuss the causes and close an action plan with priorities, owners and deadlines.

Anonymity and trust

  • Anonymous answers and results always aggregated.
  • Small groups are merged with others so no one can be identified.
  • Consent under data protection law (LGPD) before starting.
  • Room for open comments, presented by theme.
What you receive

Deliverables designed to lead to decisions

Rolled out with your teams, the full assessment turns the reading into decisions. The report includes:

  • Overall index and maturity band: where the organization stands today and what defines this moment
  • Full pillar profile: the strengths to preserve and the gaps holding results back
  • View by area and hierarchical level: where each team stands and where perceptions diverge
  • Leadership view vs. team view: where those who decide and those who execute see things differently
  • Comparison with other organizations and progress between assessment cycles
  • Priorities: what to tackle first to move up a band
  • Voice of the people: open comments organized by theme, with anonymity preserved
  • Current and desired culture archetype and tensions by area
  • Cultural levers that support or block the strategy
  • Action plan in waves, with owners and indicators
Available in the full assessment
Available in the full assessment
Available in the full assessment

Download a complete sample report

See how an organization receives the Culture Compass (ICO) results: position, pillar profile, comparisons, and action plan. Fictitious data.

All fields are required.

Maturity stages

A 0 to 100 index and a clear stage

The result places the company in one of six stages and shows what to do to reach the next one.

  1. StagnantDysfunctional culture: distrust, silence, and no shared direction.
  2. ReactiveA culture that limits effectiveness: little direction, low trust, and defensive behavior.
  3. EmergingEnabling and limiting cultural elements coexist; a culture in transition.
  4. StructuredA culture with positive foundations, but with gaps between words and actions on relevant points.
  5. AdvancedA culture that supports effectiveness and is seen positively by most people.
  6. BenchmarkA strong, consistent, and adaptable culture that supports strategy and change; watch for rigidity and excessive homogeneity.
Formats

Three levels of depth, one consistent reading

Every format covers all six dimensions and produces results that can be compared with each other and over time. What changes is the depth.

ICO Entry

A quick, focused first reading.

When to choose it
To start with leadership, test the approach, or for smaller companies that want to know where to begin.
What it includes
Index, stage and results by dimension, with an online debrief.
Time per person
about 5 minutes
Typical length
3 to 4 weeks
Request a proposal
Recommended for most

ICO Regular

A complete reading to set priorities.

When to choose it
To compare areas, levels and sites and build the plan with confidence.
What it includes
Everything in Entry, plus results by area and level, leadership vs. teams, comments by theme and an action planning workshop.
Time per person
about 10 minutes
Typical length
5 to 7 weeks
Request a proposal

ICO Complete

An in-depth transformation project.

When to choose it
For transformation programs, restructurings, or when the results go to the board.
What it includes
Everything in Regular, plus leadership interviews, industry comparison and a transformation plan.
Time per person
about 15 minutes
Typical length
8 to 10 weeks
Request a proposal
Combine with

Integrated readings

Run together, in a single data collection, two instruments let you cross-reference results and explain causes that one alone cannot show.

ICO+IPM

Change and culture

Separates resistance to the change itself from resistance rooted in a culture that is not open to change.

360°

360° Index: build a package with two or more instruments

One data collection, one integrated report and cross-analysis between instruments.

Explore the 360° Index
Frequently asked questions

Before you hire

How long does it take?

In the Regular format, 5 to 7 weeks from alignment to debrief; Entry fits into 3 to 4 weeks. Each person needs only a few minutes to answer, on a phone or computer.

Who answers?

Usually all employees in the defined audience, at every level. You can also start with leadership and expand later.

How do you guarantee anonymity?

Answers are collected in an Ideavus environment, with no company login. The company receives aggregated results only, small groups are merged with others and comments are shown by theme, without identification. All data handling follows data protection law (LGPD).

How many people need to answer?

Each group you want to analyze (an area, a level, a site) needs at least 5 answers. The higher the participation, the more reliable the reading, and we support internal communication to get there.

What happens after the report?

The debrief ends with an action plan with priorities, owners and deadlines. If the company wishes, Ideavus supports execution with consulting and follow-up.

Can I reapply it to track progress?

Yes, and we recommend it. Reapplying every 12 to 18 months shows progress and helps prove the effect of the actions. Results are comparable between cycles.

How much does it cost?

Pricing is by proposal, based on the number of people and the format chosen. In a 30-minute call we learn about your context and send the proposal.

Is it an engagement survey?

No. An engagement survey measures how satisfied people are. ICO assesses whether the culture supports strategy and execution, and points to what should change.

Free quick test

Find out in 2 minutes where your company stands

A few questions, an instant result and your organization's estimated stage.

Take the free test (2 min)
Next step

Shall we talk about your context?

In a 30-minute call, we learn where the company stands and recommend the most suitable format. No commitment.

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